Barter will become the new economy after the global financial collapse, so make sure you have plenty of these items

Following the global collapse of the world’s financial system, which no one knows when will happen but many believe is inevitable given the massive debt held by the world’s biggest economies, the concept of “money” will change virtually overnight.

Like post-World War I Germany, when hyperinflation made the currency – the mark – so devalued and worthless that German waiters in restaurants had to climb on tables to announce new menu prices every 30 minutes, the world’s currencies will similarly collapse, since they are all based on the U.S. dollar.

Five years ago an MIT study noted that an earlier analysis predicting a “global economic collapse” by 2030 had not changed and was “still on track” to occur. But the key is the dollar.

While that reasoning is certainly sound – and most Americans probably would blame him – in many ways it won’t matter who is responsible, only that the economy as we knew it no longer exists. Which means what we typically used to obtain goods and services – money – is no longer valuable.

But our needs won’t change. We’ll still need food, water, shelter, clothing, personal hygiene items, ammunition, firearms, and other things in order to carry on with our lives as best we can. And though money might be obsolete, the things we need to live will still retain value.

Barter is a system of exchange where goods or services are exchanged for other goods and services. If you have something of value – even a skill – you can use it to trade for something you need that someone else has.

Here are some of the most popular items that you’ll need to obtain to use as currency in a post-collapse world so you can still get what you need:

— Precious metals like gold and silver

— Alcohol – believe it or not, this will be in high demand; buy small quantities though, like half-pints and single bottles

— Homesteader – someone who knows how to make soap, candles, and other consumables that you will need and use over and over again

— Gunsmiths and ammunition reloaders

There are others but these suggestions give you an idea of what will come in very handy in a post-collapse world, when things we take for granted now because we can drive a few miles to a store and get them with ease become very scarce – yet just as necessary for our comfort and survival.

One more tip: You should learn one of the valuable skills mentioned above or perhaps even a combination of them, to give yourself more barter value.